Underworld Prequel: The Captive Prince
by PheonixShadow
Summary: Mafia AU - "The Bait" universe: "Isn't it funny? That the son of Echizen Nanjiroh would fall in love with a boy." Ryoma whispered. So how did the Prince fall in love? Thrill Pair
1. Come to the Stage

**A/N: And ... I'm back? Alot of people have been asking for a developed fic of "The Bait" or for me to update "Snapshots" so I dug around my folder and found something of a compromise - a prequel. Honestly, I haven't been writing much lately so I can only hope this meets your expectations. Thank you for the continuous reads during my long hiatus; the past two years were hectic but I've finally graduated! Hopefully I'll update more regularly after this, if you guys like it. Now, let's move on to:**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned these boys...**

**Summary: Mafia AU And we see how the Prince fell in love. **

**~Prequel~ Underworld: The Captive Prince **

* * *

6:00 AM Saturday

"Oi, seishounen!" _Slam_. "Wake up!"

The open door revealed an empty room. A table sat in a corner, books an organized pile on its pristine surface; on its left, the walls carved inwards into a huge cocoon where a thick mattress filled the bottom half of the huge expanse, the rest decorated with pictures of a Himalayan cat. Opposite lay wooden wardrobes, each filled with neatly folded clothes; hanging from one of the polished knobs was a family picture of four.

Light filtered in through the drapes drawn over full-length glass panes; it was morning. Soft sunlight played over the posters on the wall, outlining players and their tennis rackets. Beneath them stood a cabinet, where several rackets and tennis balls were placed on top of.

Feet padded softly across the room, towards the bed in the wall. Reaching into a cervix in the hollow of the "cocoon", a white slip of paper was pulled out.

_Mada Mada Dane._

Echizen Nanjiroh scratched his head. "Rinko-chan! Our son has disappeared again."

6:30 AM Saturday

Echizen Ryoma smirked. Honestly, did his baka oyaji seriously believe that he would quietly put up with _another_ of his stupid "hey-guess-what-here's-a-girl-for-you-to-make-friends-with" plans? He ducked into an alleyway and dug out a sandwich from his pocket.

Ryoma frowned. He hated those girls his father kept bringing home to meet him. They were so _annoying_. All they ever do was to giggle, flirt, giggle, make a pass at him, and giggle some more. He may be turning seventeen soon, but it did not mean he was in any way, interested in skirt chasing. Plus, he thought, girls are boring to play with and they can't fight.

He bit into a piece hot bread he picked up on his way out. Mhm, his cousin should consider opening a bakery. A cat meowed somewhere near him and the boy glanced around. He was now in one of the seedier areas in town where children shouldn't be; and it was quite a distance away from the mansion he called home. Well, he shrugged, as long as it meant his father had to spend more time looking for him. Really, he had better things to do.

Thoughts wandering, he absentmindedly chewed on his breakfast, letting his feet lead him. Spotting familiar tavern nearby, Ryoma strolled through the quiet streets and entered.

"Ah, Ryoma-sama!" A wizened man welcomed him with a friendly smile. "It's been a while."

"Kanjou-san." The teen replied, tipping his hat slightly.

"Giving your old man the slip again?" the barkeeper asked, leading him to a seat in the corner. "Why, your father was just here the other day."

"Hn."

Kanjou left and returned to the table with two beers. "On the house." He said, winking.

Ryoma took a sip and wrinkled his nose slightly. "Hm, ponta's better."

"Not your taste?" Kanjou laughed. "Next time, I'll get you your ponta. We don't stock them _here_, you know." The older man pulled up a chair and leant in. "And I reckon you want to know about the recent buzz." He sighed and drained his beer in one go. "Thought you'd have heard of it already, considering how you're part of the-"

"Kanjou-san."

"Right, right, sorry." The old man paused. "Okay, so, you know of Seigaku, Hyotei and Rikkaidai, right? The Big Three… only under your father instead."

Ryoma nodded.

"And I'm sure you've heard of the Elites too, heh, who hasn't? And they're the best of the best. Well, trouble starts here. I suppose you've heard of the new gang that recently moved in, the-"

"HeL Dogs, I know." Such creativity deserved praise, Ryoma snorted mentally. What class.

"So you have heard of them." Kanjou muttered. "Figures. So anyways, these newcomers pretty much established turf around here, and are starting to pick fights with neighbouring gangs, challenging higher ups, you know what rookies are like."

"Che, let me guess, they're aiming for one of the big three?"

"Not directly."

Ryoma cocked an eyebrow.

Kanjou shook his head. "No, no, they're not that stupid. We gangsters may be tough, but bonds of blood runs deep. The Elites are known to have relatives in other influential gangs; sisters, brothers, cousins… you name it." He took out a cigarette and lit it. "So of course, these dogs chose to take the back door."

"Attacking family…"

"Exactly." Kanjou took a long draw. "This gang had a specific target in mind. Yesterday, they targeted 's."

Ryoma sat a little straighter. He had once been to 's headquarters to pass on a message from his father, and met a few higher-ranked members. They had received him politely and had not shown any signs of hostility. Ryoma's lips quirked, although, its members were somewhat… quirky. Like the purple guy who kept twirling his hair.

"And?"

"They managed to capture one of their best. Most suspect trickery, 's may not be the best, but they've been around for a long time and they know the game well. But the main reason for all the hush and empty streets is because of the supposedly kidnapped member. Rumour has it that he is the brother of a certain Elite from Seigaku."

"Hm." The teen mused. "So they're afraid of a fight…"

"Fight?" Kanjou snorted. "Ryoma-sama, the streets are going to shake with the force of his anger. You see," he grinned, "these dogs seemed to have aroused the wrath an angry, vengeful elder brother out there."

Ryoma let out a low whistle. Echizen Ryoga sure had his over protective moments too. Although only a few years older, the eldest son of Echizen Nanjiroh had never failed to go out of his way to baby his brother. Which included kicking a stranger through the walls of a shop for trying to talk to him. "Ouch."

"You bet. And if rumours are truths, they've messed with the wrong Elite."

7:00 AM Saturday

"Nya, Tezuka, do something!" Kikumaru Eiji, acrobat extraordinaire burst into one Tezuka Kunimitsu's study. "Fujiko's on a rampage!"

"Tezuka!" Oishi Syuichiro came running in. "Who told him about his brother's kidnapping? There are currently 104 injured, 59 crying in fear, 9 desks has been set on fire, 15 closets suffering damages, 13 doors ripped off their hinges… we've just managed to hole him up temporarily in his room, but I think the door won't hold any longer-"

"Buchou!" Momoshiro Takeshi shouted. "The rookies told me they heard some weird chanting coming from-"

Kaidoh Kaoru hissed from the door way. "Tezuka-buchou, just now-"

"Te-Tezuka!" Kamua Takashi skidded into the room. "Sorry Tezuka, but he's really really angry, and, um-"

"You missed him by a minute, twenty-three seconds and forty-seven milliseconds." Inui Sadaharu spoke up. The data specialists pushed his slipping glasses. "He left a while ago."

Tezuka sighed. He needed more painkillers. "Everyone go after him now and _bring him back_!"

"Usu!"

6:59 AM Saturday 

A figure scaled the wall easily and strolled away from the safe house casually.

"Hn." Fuji smirked, eyes opening a slither. "Sorry Tezuka, but I'm going to be gone for a bit." Hearing sudden shouts of commotion behind him, he fastened his steps. "Nu-uh, you're not catching me that easily."

"Now…" Sharp blue eyes slid open. "HeL Dogs… where are you?"

At the same time...

Ryoma yawned as he waved Kanjou goodbye. He briefly toyed with the idea of heading home, but he remembered why he ran in the first place and decided to wander around town. With a father like Echizen Nanjiroh, Ryoma knew these streets well, often stealing out of the house to explore. Heading North towards a more deserted area near the forest, Ryoma wondered if he would find anything more interesting to occupy his time with.

He yawned again, closing his eyes and letting his feet take him around. It was only after half an hour when he paused. "Where am I?"

He glanced around. He was on the outskirts of town, only a few houses were within his sight. Crates and boxes lay around, broken on the dry ground. Ryoma blinked. And he realized he was quite… lost.

Ah, shit.

"Oiya, oiya, what's this? Has this little boy gotten lost?"

And apparently deaf too; he didn't hear the men approaching. It was at that moment, when he noticed that he was surrounded. By a lot of people. By a lot of tall, muscular, tattooed people.

An ugly buck-toothed man stepped out. "Let's have some fun shall we? Boys."

And… Ryoma found his entertainment.

A cocky grin touched his lips. "I haven't had a good fight for a while."

XRXRXRXRXRXRXR

Ryoma sulked the entire trip, upset at the loss of his hat. And, he had lost. "You guys are cheaters, I tell you, cheaters." He mumbled under his breath. He didn't think there would be so many of them, and they're _big_.

The two men holding onto him laughed down at him.

"Cheaters?" The left one said. "Oh no, we'd never do that."

"You're just weak, brat." The right one said. "_Weak_."

Ryoma scowled as the two men laughed above his head. He estimated that they were around fifteen minutes away from the outskirts of town; if anyone looked for him, it wouldn't take long for him to be found. He scowled. If only he had his hat with him, the sun was blinding.

"Here we are."

Ryoma looked up.

XRXRXRXRXRXRXR

"How is it, that a _midget_, was able to down _half_ of my men?!"

Ryoma rolled his eyes at the outburst from behind the door and received a rough shove for his efforts. It took him a few seconds to notice that the men holding him were shaking. A lazy smirk fell on his features.

"Hmm, your boss doesn't sound pleased, does he?" He tossed out lightly.

The grip on his arms tightened. The guard on his left leant in and hissed. "Don't get too cocky just yet, _chibi_."

His foul breath made Ryoma cringe. "I'm not that short, you stinker." He muttered.

From behind the door came a series of screaming and cursing – Ryoma thought he heard a chair fly – before silence fell. The heavy metal door opened seconds later, and Ryoma was dragged in unceremoniously. What he saw was enough to make his eyes twitch and cough out a 'cliché', but he kept his mouth shut.

A huge hulking man sat on a throne-like chair facing the door, a good hundred meters away from the door. In front of him lay a carpet stained with things Ryoma didn't care to find out about. But he did notice the man cowering in front of grimy leather boots and smirked. _Oh, so you're the messenger_.

Tough luck.

Wow, Ryoma thought sarcastically, this man sure has a king complex. He eyed the gaudy furniture in distaste and secretly wondered if his mother would have a fit if she saw this.

The Prince was rudely pulled from his thoughts when he was pushed onto his knees. The moment his knees touched floor, he snarled. Mindful of his bound hands, he flipped backwards and lashed out with his feet. Landing in a crouch, he stared up at the man in the chair, leveling a cold stare at him. His previous guards lay in a heap behind him. "Like I'll ever kneel in front of such scum."

"Impressive for a boy."

Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Can't say the same for your men."

A backhand sent his head whipping to one side. Hissing like a cat, Ryoma rotated his jaw lightly. This meathead packed a hell of a punch. Shaking his head to rid of the pain, he righted his stance and held his head up proudly.

The leader, Kurano, leant down and Ryoma frowned when beady eyes raked over his figure.

"Well, well, what a cute kitten I've caught here."

Ryoma didn't like the greasy implications behind the man's words and made it clear. He spat in his face.

"You can go join the other kitten," Kurano roared, face purpling in anger, "in the rat hole!"

"Pervert."

Ryoma was once again grabbed roughly, and soon found himself stumbling into a dank musty cellar. Yuck. He could practically feel the yeast calling at him from the walls.

"Behave." The guard growled. He slammed the door shut and Ryoma heard the bolts click. Great. Huffing, he decided to explore.

That is, until he stumbled over something in a dark corner. Something lumpy, big and _alive_.

"Um, hello?"

Echizen Ryoma, meet Fuji Yuuta.

* * *

**So how was it? ^^ I shall try my best to make this decent, interesting and lengthy. Reviews anyone? **


	2. Meeting the Muses

**A/N: I apologize for the ... almost a month long wait. I just moved to Korea two weeks ago for university and the first week has been really busy with the adjusting and fitting in, as well as restarting classes. I promise to try and update more often - at least one chapter a month. I'll aim for two! Anyway, hope you enjoy. Also, I realized that the name of Yuuta's school has been taken out of the fic, so I shall replace it with "SR " from now on. Sorry for any confusion.**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned these boys...**

**Summary: Mafia AU And we see how the Prince fell in love. **

**~Prequel~ Underworld: The Captive Prince **

* * *

"I heard something over there, nya!"

_Coughing._

"Dammit! Fuji! Stop throwing smoke bombs at us!"

_Screaming._

"Fuji-sempai! Ahh!"

_Chaos._

"Fuji, where are you?"

"Fujiko, Buchou's angry."

"Fuji, stop hurting these people!"

"Fuji-sempai, wait a second, don't-!"

_Pure chaos._

Ah, how he loved it. Fuji chuckled, the eerie giggle freezing people in their steps.

"So you are around here somewhere, Fuji." Inui commented from the middle of the crossroad. He observed the mess. "85% you're in one of those boxes."

"Fuji, stop making things so hard for me!" Oishi called out from where desperate hands were grabbing at his clothes, along with choruses of '_save me!' _and _'help!'_. He patted the head of a sobbing newbie.

"Fuji-sempai, please come out." Kaidoh hissed. "The snakes are complaining that you're too big to share the box with them."

Another smoke bomb exploded nearby. Momo stumbled out of a nearby building, coughing loudly. "Fuji-se-sempai!"

A square crate at the bottom of the pile sighed.

"Sorry guys," Fuji stroked the scales of the snakes that kept him company for the last five minutes. The cobras hissed at him and uncoiled from his arms. "I'll be on my way now." With a light kick, the wooden planking gave way and Fuji stepped out gracefully. He smiled. "Hi."

Everyone froze. Then, in a flurry of arms, legs and heads, they all scrambled towards the tensai. He watched in amusement at the mountain of people running towards him. Waving he swung himself onto a rooftop and made his away from the scene he caused. At least he chose an abandoned part of the town to ambush them, he thought, no need for unnecessary people to witness their humiliation.

Aware that the others were gaining on him, he sighed.

"I'm sorry," he called out. Leaping off the building, he wove his way through the side streets. Behind him, he heard rapid cursing from Momo and grinned. His kouhais were just too cute to resist playing around with.

Basement

Fifteen minutes later saw the start of a beautiful friendship. Ryoma learnt that Fuji Yuuta was a pretty friendly guy, if not slightly ungraceful. Yuuta swears he has never met someone quite like Ryoma.

"My oyaji's a pervert." Ryoma declared suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"He always hides porn under my pillow."

Yuuta felt as if he had met a kindred spirit. "You think that's weird?" He launched into … "I have an elder brother and sister, oh man, they…"

And that was the source of their bonding.

"Family," Yuuta sighed when he finished his tale. "I'm surprised I lasted this long."

Ryoma agrees.

At Fuji

Now that he was free of any… obstacles, time to get serious. His precious brother was waiting for him. Glancing around, Fuji noted the long drags in the sand; the arbitrarily spaced areas of broken ground suggested the ambushers had a hard time subduing their unfortunate choice of a victim. So, he concluded happily, there was a scuffle here. It could not have been Yuuta, since the marks looked fresh. Another kidnapping?

Nodding, Fuji decided to trace the tracks and turned east, he knew his brother was held in that direction. Yes, Fuji Syuusuke was satisfied indeed.

XRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXR

Fuji hummed to himself as he strolled under the strong rays of the afternoon sun, only slightly bothered by the sting of sweat. It was August after all, he mused, soon enough the weather will turn cooler.

Fifteen minutes drifted by since he last started in this direction and with every minute he could feel his mask slipping. He had managed (after many weeks of cajoling and blackmailing) to _persuade_ Yuuta to come out for lunch, only to find his brother missing the day before.

A stormy look broke out over his face for a brief second before he reigned it back in. It would not do for Yuuta to see his angry face.

And then he was there.

Fuji knew he had found his destination when the two men guarding the doors started at his presence. The apprehension peering clearly out of their eyes confirmed that they have something to hide. Something… important.

With his usual smile (which grew decidedly pointier) Fuji stepped towards the guards with little care for the weapons they gripped tightly. Five minutes later, he dusted his hands and looked at the building. The door hung on its hinges before falling in a broken heap of splinters.

"Hn, found you~"

Basement

A loud crash came from above and there was a flurry of thumps.

"What's that?" Yuuta asked, looking upwards. Water dripped from the ceiling and onto his face. "Oh yuck."

Ryoma shifts against the wall more comfortably. "Maybe the idiots decided to blow themselves up."

More clanging noises reached their ears. The boys glanced at each other, then scrambled for the door.

"Ouch, wait your turn!"

"No way, you're in my way!"

"Watch it!"

"Sh."

They pressed their ears against the door. Muffled footsteps stormed pass them, and they listened to the shouting.

"How did he get in?"

"Code Red! Code Red!"

"Ah, shit! I knew this was gonna happen!"

"HE'S HERE!"

And Kurano's roar of "Get him!"

The boys turned and leant against the door.

"I'm guessing it's not a bomb then."

Yuuta groaned. "Aniki."

Upstairs

Fuji knew he was going to have fun bringing these fools down, but he didn't expect this much fun. They actually _struggled_.

The minute he had kicked the door to insignificant pieces of wood, a barrier of human flesh blocked the entrance. Feeling somewhat flattered his enemy thought so highly of him, enough to bring out what seemed like an entire army, Fuji allowed surprise to flit across his face. He had even added a small stumble to make it look more convincing. The men had grinned (more like bared their disgustingly coloured teeth) and raised their weapons threateningly.

(Fuji had heard the screams though.

"How did he get in?"

"Code Red! Code Red!"

"Ah, shit! I knew this was gonna happen!"

"HE'S HERE!"

He felt like laughing. So he did. )

But once Fuji had taken a step forward, some just turned tail and ran. Twisting his neck slightly in a stretch, Fuji shot towards the closest sack of meat and bracing himself for the impact, landed a strong right hook that sent the heavier man crashing into those behind him. In a flurry of spins and twists, a few human piles were created, leaving a small (but still visible) trail into the mansion. Feeling himself slip back into his mask of little emotion, the brunette treaded lightly through the swings at his head, drawing out a short blade to deflect the opponents' longer ones.

Suddenly preoccupied with multiple flashes of silver, Fuji could not see but heard regardless, the leader shouting in there, "Get him! Someone get him!"

Pleased at the second scene of chaos he had caused that day, he was distracted enough to be hit on the side, dull blade cutting shallowly into the skin of his waist. Hissing, he dropped to a crouch and gave a back sweep with his leg, grabbing onto the closest man and pinching his wrist until bone gave way. Ignoring the wail of pain, Fuji snatched a sword from the now loosened grip.

More men were appearing from the doors to the main chamber, some holding guns. Raising an eyebrow at the inequality of their respective weaponry, Fuji gave these men some credit. At least they were somewhat prepared.

Assessing that he was outnumbered, Fuji decided to head to the main party. Giving the gunmen a small wave, he ran straight toward them, their shock allowing him to barrel through with slightly aching shoulders but little trouble.

"W-what-"one of them spluttered, face completely flummoxed and the brunette felt almost sorry for him. They obviously thought he wouldn't be suicidal.

… well, he wasn't. But that was beside the point.

"So… you stole something from me." He said calmly. "Kurano, was it?"

The leader stared at the brown-haired man, barely out of his teen-hood. Around him lay dazed guards, some with their helmets smashed against their faces. Fuji was sitting on one of them, feet crossed and head tilted to one side, customary smile on his face.

"You-y- how?!" Kurano spit out, clearly too shocked to respond in rage. But Fuji noted the vein bulging at the side of Kurano's neck, and the slow whitening of his fingers as they clenched at the arms of his chair.

He widened his smile. "Are you stupid?"

The other man could only sit and gape at the Elite, astonished. Seeing how his prey was incapable of answering, Fuji sighed and sat forward. The man below him groaned in pain and received a light tap on the head.

"Now, don't be noisy, I'm talking." He admonished before turning back at Kurano. "Before you return what's mine," His tone grew dark. "How did you know who to target?"

Kurano stared at him for a second before a smirk wormed onto his face. Fuji's lips tightened; the man was getting more confident."It's common knowledge that the infamous Fuji Syusuke is a doting brother-"

"No!" Fuji slammed his feet onto the ground and stalked towards the man, his slender frame surprisingly strong as he grabbed the man by his throat and pushed him roughly off his chair. Kurano's eyes widened and his fingers grasped at the hands around his throat. Fuji tightened his grip and watched blankly as the man choked.

"What is suspicious is the note sent to me-addressed as 'Elite'," he said, "and _that_ is not common knowledge."

He bent his head to pin Kurano with blue _blue_ eyes. "Just who… has been talking?"

Basement

"So now what do we do?" Yuuta asked. He poked at the crumbling ceiling. "The house might actually collapse on us." He paused. "Oi, Echizen."

"Hm?" Ryoma yawned. "We wait, I supposed."

"B-but the ceiling-!"

"We'll be fine."

Yuuta grumbled but sat back on the floor. "Stupid Aniki! We're down here you know!"

The noise stopped.

"Eh?" Yuuta twisted his head around. "What? What?"

"Hm."

"_Yuuta!_" A voice called out lightly. Definitely somewhere nearby. "_Yuuta_!" Closer now. "Ah, so you were _here_."

Yuuta clambered towards the door. "Wait, Aniki! Stop-!"

The door flung open, and Ryoma shielded his eyes instinctively as light flooded in. He heard Yuuta curse somewhere near his left. Blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light, golden irises focused onto the figure framed in the doorway.

Where Fuji Yuuta was gawky, boyish and awkward, Fuji Syuusuke was the epitome of grace and beauty, yet his feminine features did little to distract Ryoma from noticing the firm set of shoulders that could only come from years of training. And Ryoma knew; Fuji was more dangerous than anyone would think him to be.

Next to him, Yuuta spluttered as his brother grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him forwards. "Aniki!" He cried out, "You're choking me!"

"Glad to see you in one piece too, outoto." The elder Fuji chuckled as he looked over his brother for any injuries. "Although I think I could have gone a nicer on the house. Hm…"

"Anyways!" Yuuta interrupted. He coughed slightly. "This is Echizen-"

"Ryoma."

XRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXR

Fuji thought his heart stopped. For a split second, he froze when he heard the smooth voice, and his eyes slid open to catch the speaker. Icy blue eyes melted into a deep sapphire as they took in the slightly younger boy, clouding over with intrigue. Although he was sitting, the quiet confidence he held himself with did nothing to conceal the raw power in his lithe body. Something, Fuji mused, about him seems familiar…

And when the boy climbed out of that cramped storage hold, lifting his head to dust his clothes, Fuji knew.

"Ryoma." He filled in, voice echoing with that of the name's owner. Ryoma raised an eyebrow but said nothing despite the curiousity plain in his eyes.

Fuji smiled pleasantly. "And I suppose this is your hat?"

He held out a slightly crumpled white hat, dirt smudged in several areas. But you can't miss the bolded "R" stitched on the front.

Ryoma blinked. "Ah!" He snatched it quickly and pulled it over his head, smiling softly. Feeling eyes on him, he looked up to find an amused smile on the elder Fuji's face. His face heated up and he glanced away, schooling his features to show indifference. _What's wrong with me?_

"Well then," Ryoma said finally, "I think it's time to head home." Throwing a last smirk over his shoulder, the emerald-tinted hair boy nodded and walked off.

Fuji stared after him amusedly. "Well, well, hasn't the little boy grown up?"

Yuuta glanced at his brother. "You know him?"

"You can say that."

XRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXR

Ryoma led a light jog home, kicking up dirt lightly. Fuji…. Both Fujis were something different. With the day's events replaying over and over in his head, Ryoma only stopped when he was a few streets away.

"If you've been tailing me all the time, why didn't you get me out?"

A tall figure melded out of the shadows and knelt. The flickering light of a nearby streetlamp flitted over his strong jaw and dark eyes, bringing out a few tense white lines of old scars. Stubble dusted his chin, once rich brown hair fading to a mousy brown with age. "I thought you had it well in hand, young master."

Ryoma stared forward into the darkness without reply. A piercing shade of azure seared to the forefront of his mind.

"We're going home."

With a polite nod, the older man disappeared back into the night. Huffing, Ryoma fingered the brim of his hat before letting it drop.

* * *

**And there it is! The second chapter. I hope I wrote Fuji's fight scene adequately, I seem to struggle with those. :/ Please please review, it makes my day brighter and takes away some of my homesickness and loneliness. **

**Well, until next time folks~ **


	3. Two Strikes and Man Down

**A/N: Back~ Sorry for the slight delay! Midterms are coming up soon and I've been shoved into a mountain of readings. Hope this chapter will satisfy you for upcoming action, and a big shout out to all those who read and reviewed. :)**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned these boys...**

**Summary: Mafia AU And we see how the Prince fell in love. **

**~Prequel~ Underworld: The Captive Prince **

* * *

It was now August, two weeks after Ryoma's run-in with the HeL Dogs. The boy in question was lying on the wooden flooring of the first floor landing, on a platform extending out towards the garden. Slanted roofing shaded him from the glaring summer rays, and he idly switched a fan to face him.

"Garden" was a modest term when one beheld acres of open space. Expanding outwards in a sea of green, the blades of grass were neatly trimmed, while those around the outer borders were allowed to amass wildly. Ryoma tried to picture the low, white-washed walling where this tamed lawn ended but instead, his vision was filled with the various collections of trees; awkward stumps, willowy stems, strong but squashed trunks… then came the pond and the island in the middle, an overgrown birch tree towering over the little pool of calm, draping shade over half of its body. And yet, this tranquil silence was anything but comforting.

_ So bored…._ Ever since his little venture, Ryoma was stuck at home under the orders of his mother. Apparently she appreciated some warning opposed to none, and he could still hear her voice going, "You could at least have told me you were going to miss dinner! You. Stay. Home."

Fortunately, she caught his father smuggling some more racy magazines into the house so Ryoma's imprisonment probably ended today. And speaking of the devil…

"Where are you going?" Ryoma asked, yawning. "Play a game with me."

"I'm heading over to Seigaku," Nanjiroh scratched his head. "That obaa-san asked me to visit. Tch, so troublesome."

Ryoma stared at his father for a bit. Then, "I'm coming too, wait."

"Hah? You want to come along?"

Nanjiroh sighed as his son ignored him and took off. "Crazy kid."

XRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXR

Ryoma ran into his room and quickly threw on a pair of shorts and T-shirt. Slipping on his trainers, he reached out for his hat on the table. Picking it up, he stared at the light stains on the white fabric. _Seigaku … huh?_

_ "And I suppose this is your hat?"_

Seigaku… Ryoma almost grinned. _Such interesting people._

Seigaku HQ

Ryoma ran an eye over the building; non-descript yet somehow commanding of attention, it seemed to suit a certain group of people living within its walls. He followed behind his father leisurely, wondering if the fortress extended backwards into the huge mass of Seigaku territory or if it built downwards into a tangle of tunnels. Or maybe both, he mused, considering what a contradiction this gang was. Opposed to Monkey King's flair for dramatics and penchant for mansions of overflowing fancy, Seigaku—or really just its leader—retained an image of control and no waste on frivolities.

Actually, make that just the Captain.

Nanjiroh whistled lightly as they stood before a massive set of gates and waited for someone to attend to their presence.

Within minutes, a plain man in his mid-twenties hurried out and let them in through a set of smaller doors at its feet.

"Ah! Echizen-sam-", the man stuttered, hastily dropping into a bow. Judging by his clothes, he was a newly taken in trainee.

Nanjiroh cut him off with a lazy wave. "Where's your Captain?"

"This way, sir."

He led father and son through a corridor on the left, gaze frequently sliding over the elder in some sort of awe. Ryoma snorted in his head; if only they knew what kind of face he shows at home!

"Where are the people?" Ryoma asked suddenly, startling the trainee. The man turned to look at him, as if noticing him for the first time. Ryoma could see Nanjiroh raising an eyebrow at his sudden want for words and resolutely ignored him.

Clearly flummoxed by Ryoma's presence, the man seemed at loss for words, before his eyes drew wide as he realized just who the teenager before him was. "Echizen-san! The… the main team is out at the moment to check on a shipment that just came. Only Bu- the Captain is here. With the rest of us."

_ So the principle members aren't here, huh. _Hit by a sudden lack of enthusiasm, Ryoma pulled his hat down and started down a random hallway.

"Ah! Echizen-san, where are you-"

"It's okay," Nanjiroh could be heard, bemusement colouring his voice. "He'll come back when he's needed."

Scowling at the choice of words, Ryoma threw a knife backwards carelessly, hearing a slight yelp as it almost pinned his father's cloak. "You'd better give that back to me later, baka oyaji," he called out smoothly, basking in the man's grumbles.

"Tsk, children now a day… Let me tell you, shounen, don't…." Nanjiroh's voice trailed off as Ryoma put more walls between them.

XRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXR

Ryoma wandered around the halls, taking in the décor and building a map at the back of his head. Despite its clean and barren exterior, he noted with approval that the hallways were connected in an intricate and strategically sound system, complete with secret doors and pathways. The floor too, was laid with a light but muffling carpet; in the case of intruders, there are specially installed floorboards which creak when stepped on—the residents knew which to avoid. The interior was furnished with a subtle elegance that announced a taste for traditional Japanese designs, yet managed to retain a classy modern feel.

Realizing this was the second time in a month he analyzed someone's living quarters and their stylistic elements, Ryoma cut his thoughts off before he could go into detail about the specifics of each furniture. Well, the Seigaku headquarters sure displayed an architectural genius in terms of the infrastructure itself.

"Ochibi-nya!"

A huge force rammed into his back, and despite no longer being a puny boy of thirteen years, Ryoma barely withheld from fusing his face with the wall.

Grumpily turning to face his affectionate attacker, he grunted out as loud of a hello as he could under the force of the bands around his chest. The exuberant man grinned and finally let go, raising a hand to his fiery hair and ruffling it sheepishly.

"Mou… don't look at me like that! I haven't seen you in years!" Kikumaru Eiji whined.

The red-haired man always came across to Ryoma as a contradiction unto itself. For someone who behaves more like a cat than man and had the energy of a five-year old, his focus and calculated movements when provoked betrayed the face of a man with unwavering loyalty and deep-rooted determination to prove himself worthy of his place.

They had first met four years ago, when Eiji was sent over to the Echizen manor delivering a message from Tezuka. Coincidentally, Ryoma had been heading out to town the exact moment Eiji bounced through the door and both made acquaintance with the hard flooring. Nanjiroh had then walked into the scene with perfect timing, huge grin taking over his face.

"Oh, you're the monk guy!" Eiji had suddenly screamed, jumping to his feet and tripping Ryoma all over again. He gaped open mouth at Nanjiroh, and with some shock, realized his more affluent identity. "E-Ehhhh?!"

"Kikumaru Eiji?" Nanjiroh observed musingly. "I heard there's a letter for me."

Eiji reached into his jacket, still somewhat in awe (shock) and handed the older man the missive, slowly recovering his hyper face. "Nice to meet you! Kikumaru of Seigaku, nya!"

Then, realizing someone was beneath him, Eiji reached down and plucked Ryoma upright.

And proceeded to squeal in a very unmanly voice.

"You're so cute! Ochibi, nya!"

There was a slight pause where Nanjiroh roared with laughter, only to scramble away up the stairs when a flushed Ryoma started throwing pointy objects in his direction.

And from then on, Ryoma made it a point to hide from the faintest glimpse of red hair.

He was however, brought quickly back to the present when Eiji's face took a devious turn, and he dodged another tackling hug.

"Kikumaru-sempai, you haven't changed huh."

Said man just grinned and held out his fingers in a 'V'. "Why are you here, Ochibiiii~"

Ryoma shrugged. "Oyaji has business."

"Oh, is he here to visit Ryuuzaki-sensei?" Eiji bounced alongside the shorter male as they continued touring around. "She'll be moving back to her own place soon…"

Ryoma hummed in answer.

"I know! Let me introduce you to Taka-san!" Eiji cheered as he dragged Ryoma around the corner and down a flight of stairs towards the kitchens.

At Nanjiroh's

Despite his cheery stroll into the building, Nanjiroh's easy smile dropped as he was shown into a well-used office. Dropping onto the seat offered, he leveled his eyes at Seigaku's leader.

Tezuka Kunimitsu was a force to reckon with, even at the young age of nineteen, soon to be twenty. Nanjiroh had met the young man (only seventeen when he first took over has leader) two years ago, after Seigaku lost their former leader in a blood bath. The man had attended a small group meeting with several smaller gangs from outside the city, bringing along only a few trusted subordinates as per agreement, one of which was Tezuka. No one knew who fired the first shot, or claimed the first provocation, but the meeting transformed into a heated collision. Seigaku's former leader was embroiled in the heart of it and by the time Tezuka fought his way in, the man was gone, leaving only a leg and a huge pool of blood.

There was no way to confirm his death at the time, but a week later, Tezuka received a photograph of the dead man's body. By then, he had been chosen autonomously to take reigns over Seigaku. He worked to reorganize the gang into a more effective and efficient system, also gathering together his team of Elites. Nanjiroh had, without question, been impressed by the skill and pure control the youth had weld. With evidence of Tezuka's abilities, Nanjiroh officially recognized him as the leader of Seigaku and kept in constant communication. He was, after all, depending on Seigaku and two other influential families in keeping a semblance of peace in the Underworld.

Tezuka stood at Nanjiroh's entrance and greeted him respectfully. "Echizen-san."

The older man nodded and the Captain resumed his seat. "I assume the spot of trouble has been taken care of?"

"Yes, Fuji... dealt with it." Tezuka gave a customary frown at the thought of the resident genius. "I apologize for any trouble caused for your son."

Nanjiroh gave a short bark of laughter. "No, no, the brat wandered in by himself."

Tezuka refrained from sighing. "This incident does however, raise some questions."

"It does indeed…"

"In any case, there have been no other incidents." The Captain pinched the bridge of his nose. "Atobe and Yukimura has reported no trouble either."

"In that case, I assume you already have an eye out. Be careful."

"Yes, sir."

"Now," Nanjiroh lightened his tone. "It's about time she arrived."

The office door opened and a second figure entered. "Nanjiroh, I see you've came."

"Old hag." Nanjiroh nodded, sharp grin pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"Still so rude, huh." The older woman moved towards the desk, nodding at Tezuka. He gave a respectable dip of the head. "No wonder your brat's just like you."

"Ah, that's right." Nanjiroh leaned back in his chair, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He had foregone his casual monk wear for a combination more suited for public appearances. "I need to discuss something with the two of you."

At the docks…

They had been making rounds all day and now the team only had to check in with a new shipment of firearms.

Fuji wandered along the docks, keeping a subtle eye on the transporting of goods into the warehouse. Momoshiro was standing right by the ship, making friendly banter with the movers—a politically neutral word—and Oishi was going over the shipment list with the captain of the vessel. Kaidou and Inui were on the lookout, scouting the perimeter. Taka-san and Eiji had headed back to avoid leaving the headquarters unattended. Despite Tezuka's presence, there has been a current of unease within the Underworld community, and Seigaku would not be caught with her guard down. The more elite members back home the better.

Deciding that everything was in good hands and going smoothly, Fuji headed towards the containers further south, walking up to some men stationed around the area.

They bowed respectfully when they saw him and he nodded back. "Anything to report?"

"Everything is quiet here, sir." The first spoke up. "However, we few," he gestured towards his group, "feel like something strange is going on here."

Fuji tipped his head slightly.

"Recently there have been random scratch marks along the bottom of the containers, the very ones we're standing in front of. We thought it might have been a wild animal but even after a detailed search, nothing else suggested it was the case."

"Hm…" Fuji motioned for them to show him the exact markings and soon stood before a solid container, three times his height and a dozen time his width; a steel cage secured and padlocked. Kneeling in front of an injured wall, he traced the mutilated metal with a finger, frowning when broken edges cut softly into his finger.

An animal wouldn't have made those marks. Turning his head to the left, he spotted a glint of something buried in a tuft of grass. One of the men shone his torch to combat dusk's dying light and Fuji shot to his feet when he saw the golden flash of a—running to the other, hidden side of the container, he saw a sooty band of powder around the base.

A sudden chill pierced the back of his neck and Fuji knew—

Gritting his teeth he spared no time in turning back towards the open docks. "Run!" He yelled at the stunned men, feeling it happen before it actually did—

The container exploded in a shower of glowing shrapnel.

* * *

**And here is it! A little bit of action at the end for you. See you all next time. ;)**


	4. When the Sleeping Dragon wakes

**A/N: I seem to be apologizing alot, don't I? D: But I am. Sorry! I didn't realize what Finals meant until it came and overwhelmed me, and after that it was a whirlwind of packing, going home for winter break, and dozens of gatherings and reunions. **

**Anyway... HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope this slightly longer chapter will make up for the long wait. Now that I'm on a break and everything has settled down, the next chapter should come along much quicker. Nothing like nagging and reviews to help speed up the process though. ;)**

**And to all my faithful readers, thank you so much for the reviews. I hope you'll stick with this story a little longer... **

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned these boys...**

**Summary: Mafia AU And we see how the Prince fell in love. **

**~Prequel~ Underworld: The Captive Prince **

* * *

"Fuji! Fuji!"

A murmur of voices reached him, and incomprehensible shouting was in the background. Shaking his head gently, Fuji sat up slowly as his senses returned. Ignoring the ringing in his ears, he kept his eyes closed and felt the tremors in the ground as the men ran around the compound, gathering those who were injured. He could still feel the heat around him.

A hand landed on his shoulder and he was suddenly lifted onto his feet.

"Fuji-sempai," Momo's voice sounded worriedly, "let's get you somewhere safer."

"No," Fuji shook off his junior's hold, "I'm okay, check on the men."

"But-"

"It's fine Momo," he cut in, sliding on his customary smile, "I managed to roll far enough. The blast just shook my senses a bit."

The purple-eyed youth was not convinced, but knowing better than to argue with Fuji, he nodded and headed towards where the wounded were being treated. Fuji watched him go, smile slipping off his face. He furrowed his brows in consternation and turned towards the site of explosion.

The container was no more, except for crumbling bits of the bottom panel. But the grass around it was singed for no more than a ten meter radius; Fuji knew, he was not lucky to have escaped the blast. Someone wanted him alive.

Casting one last critical eye over the scene, Fuji whirled towards the rest of the team. Oishi glanced up sharply as Fuji descended, "Fuji, you're bleeding-"

The latter paid no attention the steadily darkening patch on his side. When he spoke, his cool and controlled words sent a warning loud and clear.

"There's a stain I need to get rid of."

Headquarters

Tezuka remained alert and upright, fingers steeped together with his elbows on the desk. Gazing at Echizen Nanjiroh thoughtfully, he leant forward to address the older man. "I believe it can be done. But," he sighed and rubbed his temples. "Are you sure-"

The heavy oak doors slammed open and a panting messenger rushed in. All three rose to their feet, Tezuka towering over the desk.

"What is it?" He asked sternly. No one ever disturbed the sanctuary of his study unless for an emergency.

"T-there was an attack at the docks sir!"

"What?" With a short nod to both elders, Tezuka strode towards the doors, "Excuse me."

Ryuuzaki waved his apologies off. "Better check on your men." To the youth by the door she barked, "Inform the infirmary! How many injured?"

"Fuji-sempai and the four men with him, ma'am. It seems as if he managed to warn them in time to avoid most of the blast."

"But?" Tezuka demanded, sensing hesitation. He swept out of the room, followed closely by Nanjiroh and the wizened woman. The messenger scurried after them and continued his report.

"Fuji-sempai suffered a deep wound to his side. While it is not fatal, he is refusing treatment until he is back at the headquarters."

Tezuka's face darkened. Without another word, his long steps soon brought him out of sight. Nanjiroh and Ryuuzaki paused at intersecting corridors, watching the Captain's hurried strides.

Then, Ryuuzaki smirked. "He's worried."

Nanjiroh glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Him and Fuji are close, aren't they?"

"Rather than that…" the old woman chuckled, "Despite Tezuka's title, Fuji is the one who really holds the reigns here."

"A man who lives by his own rules…" Nanjiroh mused, "I'm surprised he is under anyone's command at all."

"Well," the two resumed their walk towards the main hall. "Fuji's loyalty is not to be underestimated. He's a mystery, that one."

"I suppose it's time to collect my brat and go," the man stopped and scratched his head. "Hm…"

A light tap of footsteps alerted the seasoned people and they turned to see Ryoma coming towards them. To the untrained eye, he looked the same as he had hours ago except his hair was more ruffled, but Nanjiroh frowned at the tenseness in his son's frame.

Ryuuzaki raised an eyebrow. "You're not at ease," she surmised and was rewarded with an impressive scowl.

"Ryuuzaki-sensei," he returned stiffly, bending at the waist. "It's been a while."

"Not so long I can't read you like a book, Ryoma."

Darkened gold locked onto her own misty grey, and Ryuuzaki was struck by a sense of unfamiliarity. Has the boy grown up so much already? He must have seen something in her face because the intense stare softened into one of reluctant fondness.

"Nothing to concern yourself over," he threw out generously and without another word, slinked towards the entrance. Nanjiroh only sighed and muttered "brat" under his breath, and followed his son.

Ryoma walked briskly, thoughts whirring about in his head. Eiji had brought him down into the kitchens, and introduced him to "Taka-san". The man with side burns was built firmly, and the width of Ryoma's body was only a bit more than half of his; the way he laughed bashfully and the clumsy bow he executed did not match his image but Ryoma took it in stride and shook hands with the gentle man. Taka had been making sushi—an interest he inherited from his father he explained—and with enthusiastic cheer he had herded the two visitors onto a bench by the work table and whipped up a plate of Ryoma's favourite sushi. Eiji jabbered on excitedly.

"Taka-san makes all our snacks for us, nya!" the red-haired man grinned, gesturing wildly with his hands. "And then the chefs get upset."

And Ryoma noted that they were; the four chefs who catered all the official meals of the day sat sulkily on one side of the room, and one stuck out his tongue good-naturedly.

"He's taking our job!" He whined.

Eiji just laughed and Taka rubbed the back of his neck. "Only because the main team keeps bugging me…"

They spent better of the hour bantering, Eiji throwing endless stories of their exploits at him, and despite himself, Ryoma found himself drawn into the lives of these people. Then Eiji's phone erupted in a series of senseless gurgling and giggling.

"It's Oishi!" The acrobat chirped.

Ryoma only rolled his eyes at the man's excitement but inwardly he was curious about what the call was for.

"Oishi, Oishi!" Eiji launched into the conversation before the other side could even get a word in. "You won't believe who-"

"Eiji! It's an emergency!" the other man's frantic voice broke in. Eiji immediately threw away his initial cheer. He put his phone on speaker so that everyone could hear. "There was an attack at the docks and Fuji, that idiot, insisted to wait until he reported to Tezuka. Even though he's hurt!"

Ryoma straightened up at those words. Oishi was still speaking, explaining the situation to Eiji but the green-haired boy filtered his words half-heartedly, ears trained on the faint commotion in the background. Then suddenly, a familiar clear voice, if not a little strained, rang out, "I said it can wait!"

Eiji leveled a worried frown at the phone as Oishi paused in his explanation to yell at the other man, "The color of your shirt isn't even white anymore!" There was a loud flurry of rustling and then silence.

"Hello?" Oishi's voice crackled over the phone. "Anyway, I called the infirmary already. I want you to send more guards to the perimeters and meet us at the back entrance."

"Got it."

Eiji snapped his phone shut and shook his head. "Fujiko's not happy huh…"

"That Fuji…" Ryoma muttered.

Eiji glanced at him surprised, then said, "Oh, right! You met him a while back when Fuji's otouto got kidnapped!" Noting the curiousity on his kouhai's face, Eiji grinned. "Fujiko's an interesting guy, ne?"

Ryoma scowled at him and turned away. "Go do what lover-boy told you to."

Eiji's face bloomed bright red. "H-He's not-!"

The younger teen simply raised an eyebrow. "Hn." He nodded to Taka who was silently fretting, and turned to leave. "See you some other time, sempai."

"Wait, you're leaving already? Stay and I'll introduce you to the team! It won't take long for them to patch Fuji up."

The other just waved, already heading up the stairs he took down to the kitchens earlier. "Ja."

Ryoma shook the memory off as his feet brought him to the main gate. With a slight tip of his head to the guard, he slipped through the door opened for him, ignoring his father's presence at his back.

"Seishounen…" Nanjiroh drawled. "What's the hurry?"

"I'm hungry." He replied noncommittally. "And if you paid more attention to your pocket, you'll realize mom's calling you."

"What? Ah, shi-"

Infirmary

"Fuji."

The brunette in question sat up in his bed quickly, moving to rise, ignoring the protests of healer next to him. Oishi, who stood vigil by his side, sighed in frustration. The blankets fell from onto Fuji's lap, a trickle of red dotting the white bandages around his waist. Tezuka narrowed his gaze.

Deep blue drew his eyes back up, noting the seriousness of one who rarely shows it.

"Tezuka."

"Sit down before I ban you from going out." The Captain delivered sternly. "You can report to me from your bed."

It was a measure of how unsettled Fuji was that he made no joke about his Captain's words. Tezuka was once again, struck by a sense of unease. But the cerulean-eyed man did as told and Oishi relaxed slightly.

"The men told me about their misgivings, and I went to investigate." Fuji started. "And while I dissuaded them that a loose animal was in the vicinity, I saw something else instead. An empty bullet shell."

"And then you found..."

Fuji nodded. "There was black powder circling around the container. But the blast itself was not meant to kill."

Tezuka stared at him for a while. "You think it's a warning."

Fuji nodded, but seemed reluctant to say anything else. Studying his friend carefully, Tezuka raised his voice. "Everyone, back to your stations." Noticing some people dallying, he barked sharply, "Now!"

Oishi gave his Captain a nod. "I will be waiting in your office." The healer turned away from Fuji's bedside to his office at the end of the infirmary and visitors of the ward hurried out, eyes on the floor. Other injured men were either unconscious or quickly willed themselves to sleep. Tezuka took the seat vacated by the healer and waited.

It was another ten minutes before Fuji spoke. "Twice, Tezuka." His eyes were closed again, but the edge had not left his voice. "I was caught _twice_."

Tezuka laid a hand on his shoulder. "Fuji, maybe you happened to be in the wrong place at the right time."

His friend growled uncharacteristically. "_No_." His eyes narrowed. "Coincidences like that doesn't happen here. Not in the Underworld." Catching the slight tenseness of Tezuka's jaw, Fuji softened his tone. "You know my suspicions are right."

The Captain sighed, but did not disagree. With a last squeeze to the shoulder, he stood. "Don't let your guard down."

Fuji grabbed his shirt before he could leave. "Don't tell the others."

Tezuka frowned at him.

Fuji smiled sharply. "You know, I distinctly remember a letter in someone's drawer addressed to-"

"There's nothing to tell." The other man cut in, voiced pained and tinged with… was that a blush on his face? Laughing to himself, Fuji released his friend and slowly lowered himself back onto his pillow. Although he brushed the injury off as nothing, the heavy throbbing at his side only increased with every movement he made. Sighing, Fuji brushed away his worries.

Tonight, he would heal. But afterwards, everything was fair game.

Tezuka's Study

Tezuka closed the door behind him and leaned against it tiredly. He could not shake off the sense of unease Fuji's words created; but he also did not know how great of a threat these incidents should be treated as. Not to mention Fuji's last excursion to rescue his brother only resulted in more questions and no answers, despite the Elite's efforts.

"Tezuka…" Oishi's worried voice pulled him back to the present, and he crossed the room to sit at his desk. Seeing the glass of water and aspirin awaiting him, he thanked his second-in-command with a small twitch of his lips.

"Aside from the explosion, were there any other problems?"

Oishi shook his head. "Delivery was smooth as usual and nothing out of the ordinary anywhere else either." He leant back in his chair. "I have also posted more men at the borders just in case. Although I doubt anything would come tonight. Anything else you want done?"

The Captain's shoulders relaxed slightly. One problem was easier to deal with than many. Hopefully it would stay that way. "I want detailed reports from every safe house and storage areas; step up the training for Arai's group, and shift the delivery times every other week."

"Got it."

"Go rest." He said, and pulled a stack of papers towards him. Oishi nodded and made to leave but then paused.

"Tezuka… is Fuji… safe?"

_Don't tell the others_

"He will be if you keep Eiji away from him," he replied, choosing to bypass the question.

OIshi smiled wryly. "As if that's possible. Don't sleep too late!"

Tezuka waved his concerns off and turned back to his paperwork. "Don't tell the others indeed." He murmured.

Atobe's Mansion

"Seigaku was attacked?" Atobe shot up from his grand leather recliner.

"Relax." Yuushi pushed his glasses further up his nose. "It wasn't at their headquarters. His leader stared at him suspiciously, so he elaborated. "From what I've heard, they were attacked at one of their delivery points. Fuji was injured."

This raised an eyebrow. "That's not someone I expect."

"Indeed…." The blue haired man sipped from his glass of wine. "Apparently it was from an explosion. Minor, but still consequential."

"I see." Atobe looked at his friend. "And where did you hear that from? Tezuka isn't so lax to let any incident like this reach outside ears."

Yuushi grinned. "You know Gakuto, he has to know everything that involves his rival."

Atobe snorted, and pushed out of his chair elegantly. "Well, I think it's time we paid a visit to our dear friends." He snapped his fingers. "Kabaji."

"Usu." The lumbering giant stepped out from the shadows.

"Send word to Tezuka. We will see them in a week's time."

Yuushi raised an eyebrow. "A week's time? I thought you'd be more impatient to see Tezuka."

The silver-haired man smirked. "Time to do some research of our own. We can't go empty handed after all."


	5. (Interlude) Hide Behind the Wings

**A/N: As a birthday present to myself... update! :) I know it's a short chapter, but I'm working on the next and hopefully I'll be able to upload it by the end of the week. Enjoy the surprise visit from someone who makes everything ever more complicated. To all of you who celebrate, Happy Chinese New Year! 3**

**Special thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm sorry but I keep getting distracted and never actually reply, but do know that I appreciate every single one of them. **

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned these boys...**

**Summary: Mafia AU And we see how the Prince fell in love. **

**~Prequel~ Underworld: The Captive Prince **

* * *

Atobe snapped his fingers and all his underlings ran into position, sliding into two neat rows. Smiling smugly, he descended the staircase, all his inner circle trailing behind him.

"I hate it when he does that." Shishido grumbled. He twisted his cap backwards. "Arrogant-"

"Shishido-san!" his partner chided him softly.

Gakuto pushed them from behind and jeered. "What are you two lovebirds whispering about, eh?"

Shishido scowled at him. "I don't want any words from you," he growled. "Keep your fu-"

"Quiet." Yuushi said calmly. He checked the case he was holding and nodded at the double combination code.

"Ore-sama demands you all to shut your mouth." Atobe interjected smoothly. He led them out of the mansion and towards the waiting cars. "We are dealing with serious business."

Gakuto snickered. "Serious business… getting into Tezuka Kunimitsu's pants."

"You," Atobe ignored the red-head and pushed him into a car. "Are sharing with Kabaji and Jiroh." Looking over Gakuto's now sullen face (how boring!), he raised an eyebrow. "Yuushi with me and the rest of you in the van."

With another snap of his fingers, a man hurried to the King's side. "Yes, sir?"

"Lock down the mansion until I'm back."

"Yes, Atobe-sama."

As the man retreated into the main house, Yuushi followed Atobe quietly into the car.

"Worried?" he asked his leader softly.

"… let us set off." Atobe ordered the driver. "Now."

And that was answer enough.

Seigaku

"Is the conference room ready?" Oishi asked one of his assistants.

"Yes, fuku-buchou! We double checked the number of chairs and refreshments are at the ready."

"Good." He dismissed the man and let out a sigh. Atobe's letter had set off a flurry of actions as Eiji moaned at his rival's definite appearance, Tezuka debated on whether or not to block the man out and the rest of the team upped the level of their training. No doubt, Oishi surmised, Atobe had heard of the incident by the docks and decided it was a good time as any to get involved. Involved in what, and how serious this issue was however, was as good as anyone's guess.

_But what are they hiding?_ Oishi thought, frown marring his forehead. _What has Fuji realized?_

He was pulled out of his thoughts when a heavy weight draped over his back. "Partner! Let's head to the conference room, let's go!"

"Hai, hai."

The two entered the room to find almost everyone assembled. Except Tezuka.

"Don't worry," Fuji said when he saw Oishi, "he went to ah… _welcome_ Hyotei." His grin widened. "I shouldn't be walking too much after all."

… So, Fuji threw Tezuka to the wolf. Atobe would definitely see Tezuka's personal welcome as a reciprocation of his advances, if he could overlook that Fuji was meant to be bring them in. The brunette in question hummed cheerfully, the devil.

"Ne, Oishi." Eiji whispered. "I think Fujiko is a bit tense." He tilted his head towards his humming friend. "He's meaner than usual."

Before Oishi could reply however, the heavy doors opened to admit potential chaos.

"KIKUMARU." Gakuto shouted.

"AH, YOU!" Eiji leapt out from behind Oishi and yelled at the other red-head.

Yuushi sighed and grabbed his partner's collar. "If you make another noise, you're sleeping in your own room for two weeks."

Gakuto paled but slapped two hands over his mouth. He glowered at Eiji and flipped the bird.

"Hah!" Eiji crowed. "You-"

"Eiji, play fair or no desserts for a week."

Eiji's eyes widened then filled with tears. Sticking his tongue out at Oishi, he ran and fell into the seat next to Fuji. "Fujikoooo." He whined.

Tezuka cleared his throat and pretended he could not see Atobe's suggestive leers. "Welcome, Hyotei. Now sit."

His tone must have touched something in them, because both teams settled without further trouble. Even Atobe drew back from his normal flirtatious manner and took up his role as Seigaku's ally. He snapped his fingers and took the case Yuushi handed to him.

"After hearing about what happened, ore-sama took the liberty to search the gutters." With a quick flick of his fingers, he drew out several papers and handed them to Tezuka. "Guess what I found?"

"Kenjima…" Tezuka skimmed over the papers. "This is a list of people who dropped out of Seigaku, Hyotei and Rikkaidai."

Yuushi nodded. "It's not a strange occurrence if you consider them separately," he elaborated. "Newcomers sometimes switch to lower profile gangs, or quit due to family reasons and such."

"I sense a 'but'."

"These few left at the same time, around fifteen months ago. And if you keep looking…"

"Another batch happened around three months ago."

"Question is," Fuji spoke up from his seat on Tezuka's left. "Where do they go?"

The headache that evaded Tezuka in the morning hit him straight between his eyes. He pinched his brows together.

"It's time we call in Rikkaidai," He said finally. "We have some trouble."

At the Echizen's…

_Tap. Tap, tap. Tap. Echo. _

With a grinding noise, an inconspicuous section of the white washed walls of the Echizen's backyard sunk inwards and then down, revealing a mass of overgrown creepers. The curtain of green was swiftly pushed aside, and a quick step on a nearby rock resealed the entrance, leaving none so much a mark on the outside wall to indicate one of the many secret entrances privy to only the Echizen family.

Strong steps emerged from the shadows and headed towards the main house. A tanned hand ruffled the back of green-tinged hair, and lips quirked with no sound. Seeing the light emit from familiar windows, weary legs finally slowed and relaxed. The wooden door to the garden slid open with a soft touch and Ryoga grinned at his father's figure.

"Tadaima, Oyaji."

* * *

**And so... Ryoga's in the game. :) **


	6. Beware of the Cackling Devils

**A/N: Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Without further pause, another chapter as I promised. :3 For those of you who are lonely, never fear! Our boys are here after all.**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned these boys...**

**Summary: Mafia AU And we see how the Prince fell in love. **

**~Prequel~ Underworld: The Captive Prince **

* * *

It was September. Ryoma hated September. Because it meant –

"Oiiii Echizen, come look at my three years of-"

_Tennis Experience_, the green-haired teen mimed in annoyance. He pointedly closed his eyes and tugged his cap lower over his eyes.

A shyer timid voice spoke up from his left. "R-Ryoma-sama, aren't you going to come join us for lunch?"

And he was back at Ryuzaki-sensei's place. Ever since he turned (thirteen?) his dad made a point to dump him at the Ryuzaki residence for a few months, claiming it was for "training". The only training he got was for his patience and even after four years of repeated experience it had not gotten any better. He frowned and turned onto his right side. At least they had training rooms here.

Unfortunately, the training rooms came with four baggages: Ryuuzaki-sensei's granddaughter, her loud-mouthed friend, and three other boys. While they were tolerable for most part, Horio's boasting of his tennis skills were almost as irritating as his father's perverted joy in dirty magazines. Ryoma stretched an arm over his head and casually positioned it over his ear. Nothing that came out of Horio's mouth was worth listening to and he was _tired_.

"Ryoma-sama!"

Oh, not her.

"Huh, Echizen must be scared of my tennis experience!"

"What?" The new arrival took offence at Horio's words. Tomoka shoved her face in front of the teenager's startled one, dark scowl on her face. "You're nothing compared to Ryoma-sama, on court or off!"

Horio squawked. "You-"

"You can't even point your gun in the right direction!" the girl jeered. "And tennis? Can you even get to the ball?"

"Tomo-chan!" Sakuno cut in. She tugged at her friend's arm and then glanced at Ryoma's "sleeping" figure anxiously.

Horio puffed up. "You can't do any better! Who broke the- Oi, Echizen! Where are you going?"

Ryoma lifted himself off the ground and dusted his clothes. He shot the arguing duo a dark glare. "Somewhere I can actually sleep." He replied, deadpanned. Ignoring Tomoka's _"But Ryoma-sama!"_ and Horio's _"What's that supposed to mean, Echizen!"_, Ryoma took big strides away from his fellow… trainees.

What training, he thought to himself, there were no decent partners around up for sparring. His feet took him into the field where several targets stood for either archery or shooting practice. Ryoma reached down to his boots and slid out two slim daggers; it was a good time as any to work on his aim.

A light breeze swept across the grassy sea, lifting the leaves as autumn made itself known. A steady _shik, shik_ of Ryoma's daggers finding their mark was the only sound to be heard, thankfully undisturbed by the rowdy crew he had left behind. Ryoma sighed and stalked over to the targets, examining how his small blades impaled the tightly bound hay.

"Tch." He unsheathed them lightly and turned one over in his hand. He still needed more spin from his right hand. Guess this technique needed a little more refinement.

The green-haired teen suddenly tensed as the air shifted. Carefully, he schooled his features and returned his blades into his boots. "Yes?" he questioned, turning to face the visitor.

Tezuka Kunimitsu stared back at surprised orbs of gold.

Ryoma was tempted to drop his jaw (he hadn't many chances of meeting the man face to face after all) but managed to hold in his amazement. "Tezuka-san of Seigaku."

The taller man looked down through his glasses. "Echizen Ryoma."

Ryoma tilted his head and gave a small nod. The few times he had seen the leader of Seigaku, he was impressed with the control and admiration he had over his gang. Tezuka Kunimitsu was someone who had won his respect.

"Doumo."

"Why is someone of your status here?"

Straight and direct. Ryoma's lip curved slightly but he managed a shrug. "Oyaji calls it training."

Tezuka stared at him for a few minutes and then turned abruptly on his heel. "Follow me."

Curious, Ryoma slunk behind him as Tezuka led them into a brisk walk. The Captain seemed familiar with the place, he noted, but if rumors were right then Tezuka had studied under Ryuuzaki-sensei before. Ryoma studied the man closely; sharp eyes, serious mien, his stride was long and purposeful. He was startled out of his thoughts when they abruptly stopped in front of a room Ryoma was very familiar with.

Tezuka glanced down at him. "Let us spar."

XRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXR

_"Ah, that's right." Nanjiroh leaned back in his chair, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He had foregone his casual monk wear for a combination more suited for public appearances. "I need to discuss something with the two of you."_

_Ryuuzaki looked over at him appraisingly. "About your brat?"_

_"That's right." A razor-sharp grin spread over his face. "You see, I've raised the brat in a way fitting for survival in this world; I started training him at the age of five. But he has a weakness I cannot blame anyone for except myself." The father's tone dropped. "After Ryoga left, I was so worried to lose my other son that I kept him from company… and from his childhood. The only things he cares about are tennis, his cat and fighting. But that's not even my biggest mistake."_

_"You gave him only one opponent." _

_Both adults turned their gaze on Tezuka, but the leader only connected his gaze with the older Echizen's. "You."_

_Nanjiroh nodded. "Ryoma sees me as the ultimate figure he has to beat, and he pushes himself hard to catch up to me. But in doing so, all he knows is what I've taught him, and eventually he forgot about developing himself."_

_"So… you want him to be taken in." Ryuuzaki guessed. "By Seigaku."_

_Nanjiroh grinned ruefully. "I want my boy to learn to depend on others. To learn that there are more opponents out there than just his father alone. And maybe he will realize that his strength doesn't come by conquering what I know, but by overcoming his own limits and even mine." He closed his eyes. "Tezuka-kun, please take care of my son."_

_And faced with a father's resolve, Tezuka agreed._

XRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXR

"Eh?" Ryoma could not help his moment of shock at Tezuka's words. Surprised, he just stood and stared.

"Pick your weapon of choice."

_He was serious?_ Shaking himself out of a stupor, Ryoma grinned excitedly in his head. "My blades then."

Tezuka nodded and took out a blade of his own. It was slightly longer than Ryoma's but not long enough to be considered a sword.

The two fighters took their places in the center of the room, Ryoma with his knees slightly bent and Tezuka with an unreadable expression on his face. They stood, muscles tensed, then something charged the air and they leapt at each other.

Bouncing back on his left leg, Ryoma flew forward, right blade sweeping up to block the blow headed for his shoulder. He drew his left hand back then sharply down right, but Tezuka's knee came up and blocked his wrist. Ryoma dodged as Tezuka's blade whistled next to his ear, and thrust his own forward, left arm coming up to block the right hook from his opponent.

The shorter boy ducked and swept his leg under his opponent, but Tezuka simple stepped sideways on step and evaded, before bringing his elbow down onto the boy who was now crouching. Ryoma flipped backwards and crossed his blades in the face of a fierce slice, the strength behind it jarring his bones. Twisting behind Seigaku's leader, he delivered a backhanded slash aimed at the shoulder, body lifting for maximum impact.

A flurry of blows came at him at the same time, and the two fell into a combination of spins and blocks, left leg to arm, blade to blade. With a resounding clash of steel, Ryoma fell backwards, but regained his footing with a quick touch of his palm to the floor. A small glint of surprise flashed across Tezuka's eyes before it disappeared.

_Shit,_ Ryoma thought, _he's playing with me_. For a brief second, his eyes flashed to the floor by Tezuka's feet. _He has barely moved from his circle_.

Determined, the lithe youth ran forward, and at the last moment slid under Tezuka's attacking arm and deftly let loose one of his blades. The blade managed a smooth cut in Tezuka's shirt before he moved back out of range. Ryoma followed up strongly with kick, both legs aiming for the knees. Tezuka evaded by moving up and Ryoma ended up behind the man, a hand deftly picking up the blade that left it earlier. A light sheen of sweat covered the dueling pair as they observed each other.

Golden orbs burned with glee until they spotted… was that approval? Ryoma was given no time to think as Tezuka returned with a barrage of kicks and hits that he could barely defend against. So focused he was that he nearly missed the silver heading for his knees. He pushed his body backwards into an arch but Tezuka's foot caught him in the right knee and he lost his balance.

_Shit-!_

Ryoma blinked away the sweat gathering near his eyes. The sharp tip of Tezuka's choice weapon glinted an inch away from his throat, blocked at the last minute by Ryoma's twin pairs out of reflex.

The youth let out a breathless sigh. Eyes glinted fiercely but he couldn't make his body move. _Dammit, I cannot lose here!_

The pressure increased and Ryoma gritted his teeth, glaring at the bespectacled man above him. Then, suddenly, the weight let off. Steel clattered to the floor as both opponents dropped their weapons.

The match was over.

Ryoma closed his eyes and felt the coolness of the floor against his back, panting lightly. Somehow, he knew he could not win, not now, but the sting of his loss reached his eyes. Laughing bitterly, he threw an arm across his eyes.

"Mada mada dane." He muttered.

Light steps stopped next to him and he forced himself to look up at the leader of Seigaku. Tezuka stood strong and unmoving, but not coldly.

"You fought well," he said after a pause, and Ryoma was stunned at the conviction in his voice. "Your right side is still weaker than your left and you need to work on your strength. Instinct will only get you that far if you don't pair it with your mind." Tezuka dropped a towel onto the younger one's lap. "Don't stop where you are."

Ryoma stared after him as he walked towards the door. "One more thing," Tezuka allowed a small twitch of his lips. "Welcome to Seigaku." And he left the prodigy alone in the room.

Ryoma stayed on the floor for a long time, replaying the past hour in his mind. Finally, he smiled. "Hai, buchou."

Meanwhile…

Fuji hummed cheerfully as he left the store, a paper bag swinging gently in his hand. He bought a new cactus to add to his collection; it had been a while after all. Shifting into his customized smile, the brunette blended seamlessly into the crowd. His head cocked to the left almost unnoticeably before he slipped into a nondescript alleyway.

Grin still in place, he strolled further into the shadows. "Why, Sei-chan, I almost didn't notice you at all."

A blue-haired man stepped next to him, joining steady footsteps. "As if that's possible, Syuu-chan."

The pair stopped, the glow of the afternoon sun barely reaching their faces. Fuji turned to his companion and smiled. The smooth complexion and wavy tresses of Yukimura Seiichi greeted him, and the gentle smile on his face matched almost exactly to Fuji's.

Fuji ended his inspection. "Beautiful as ever, ne?"

Yukimura laughed, voice soft as his face suggested. "Same to you."

Fuji sighed lightly. "Unfortunately, something troublesome has come up though."

"Oh?" his friend raised a brow. "You mean that bombing incident?" His eyes gleamed. "Need some help?"

Icy blue eyes slid open. "Only if you're up for some fun."

* * *

**Hope I did the action justice :3 And in comes Rikkaidai! Now that most of the players are in place... *grins***


	7. Purple Monkeys and Old Factories

**A/N: School has been killing me as midterms draws closer, but I suppose if North Korea bombs us then... school doesn't even factor in anymore. T_T So, to all of you who celebrate Black Day, here's an update! **

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned these boys...**

**Summary: Mafia AU And we see how the Prince fell in love. **

**~Prequel~ Underworld: The Captive Prince**

* * *

Ryoma strolled out of the shade of a nearby birch and resolutely ignored the presence walking a little behind him.

"…and my wife was quite upset I missed a week's worth of dinners at home. But my children…"

"Why are you following me anyway?" Ryoma interrupted flatly. _Only four more streets to Seigaku's headquarters, endure it, endure it…_

The older man smiled. "It's my job to stalk you, young master."

The teen frowned. "Tetsu-"

"It's Ueda today."

Ryoma's face darkened. "Just stick to one name!"

His companion hummed thoughtfully. "I'm dropping by Seigaku to check up on something." A hand clapsed briefly on Ryoma's shoulder. "Good luck."

Used to 'Ueda''s frequent disappearances, Ryoma looked up to see that he had arrived. The same guards greeted him with polite bows and he nodded back at them. Ryoma walked into Seigaku and stopped to take in his new home. A hand automatically lifted to tug his hat lower over his eyes.

"Ochibi!"

Eiji ran out of the main doors and choked the teen for a second before dragging him towards the building. "Come on, we're waiting for you!"

Before he even had time to feel apprehensive, Ryoma already found himself in front of a big crowd, staring dumfounded at the gathered mass and the huge banner behind them that said "Welcome, Echizen Ryoma". Vaguely, he spotted Ryuuzaki-sensei stading at the side, smirking at his obvious discomfort.

That old hag.

Ryoma blinked and turned towards the door. Eager hands quickly dragged him back in.

"Yo Echizen! Long time no see!" Big purple eyes invaded his sight.

"Momo-sempai," he greeted dully. "You're too loud."

Momo let out a bark of laughter. "I see you've grown from the last I saw you at obaa-chan's place."

Ryoma scowled at him but then Eiji pushed Momo aside ("Ouch! Eiji-sempai!") and pulled a bowl-haired man in front of the teen.

"Ochibi!" he exclaimed, bouncing excitedly. "Say hi to Oishi, nya!"

"Welcome to Seigaku, Echizen-kun." Oishi smiled warmly and extended his hand.

Ryoma took it and bowed slightly. So this was the man in-charge after Tezuka; mild but steady, warm. "Doumo, sempai." He said somewhat stiffly, unused to being polite.

"No need to be so uncomfortable, Echizen-kun. Treat us like your family." The older man patted him on the shoulder. The party fell into total chaos behind him when Momo accidentally bumped into a hissing man (who was later pointed out as Kaidoh) and a food fight was only prevented by Tezuka's presence. "Ah, those two are fighting again!"

Oishi hurried away to split the yelling duo and Eiji took this opportunity to introduce him to the rest of the people, and warned him to stay far far away from Inui's drinks. The man in question had smiled rather eerily and toasted to him with what seemed like a bubbling froth of green, so Ryoma took Eiji's advice to heart. And then, of course-

There was a flash of brown, and there he was.

"Fujiko!" Eiji threw his arms around his friend's shoulder. Ryoma stared unabashedly as Fuji turned to face them. A tiny smirk pulled at his lips as Fuji's gaze landed on his and the brunette's smile grew slightly sharper.

"Fuji-sempai."

"Echizen Ryoma." Fuji returned smoothly. "Our previous encounter was all too brief."

Oblivious to the mutual appraisal, Eiji prattled on beside them.

"Of course, Fujiko is still banned from going out, nya!"

Ryoma caught the amusement on Fuji's face as Eiji's words seeped into their ears. "Really?"

"Direct orders from Tezuka, you know." Fuji smiled widely. "Didn't even consider that I would ah, bribe some guards to when he is out."

"Fujiko always sneaks out." Eiji whispered to Ryoma, glancing about for Tezuka or Oishi. "Oishi gets so worried."

"Fuji." Tezuka's quiet voice cut through the ear-splitting singing Momo started with a bunch of people.

Fuji waved to Eiji and Ryoma and started away. "Well, got to pick up some people."

Fuji Syuusuke was interesting, Ryoma decided. Very interesting.

XRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXR

Half an hour later, Ryoma did not really care if Fuji Syuusuke was interesting or not. What was a purple-haired monkey doing here?

Ryoma stared at Atobe's ridiculous hair, wondering on what was the best way to annoy the man who was currently draped over Tezuka's chair, ignoring the latter's attempt to put some space between them. His childhood friend certainly had no shame, he mused.

The Monkey King had entered the room with a smiling devil beside him, and immediately threw a smug "you're finally a man, huh, brat" at Ryoma, who then retorted by glancing at him up and down and then proceeded to stare at the wall.

"Che, just a monkey." He muttered.

Atobe's eye ticked. "Still so bratty, Echizen."

The teenager in question lifted his nose. "Diva."

Fuji hummed thoughtfully from the side. "So you do know each other. Well, no introductions needed then."

"Echizen was fortunate enough to have met me in his early childhood." Atobe informed. "But he failed to acknowledge my greatness." He sniffed in mock sadness.

Ryoma scoffed. "Mada mada dane." The teenager hopped off the table. "Buchou, where's our third party?"

Atobe frowned at the younger boy who smirked at him when no one was looking. "Third party, Tezuka?"

"I'm pleasantly surprised, Echizen Ryoma."

Yukimura Seiichi stepped out from behind a pillar gracefully. The Seigaku members stared in surprise before the lower ranked trainees bowed and stuttered awed "hello"s. The blunette smiled mildly and said, "Good evening."

"The Child of God," Ryoma murmured, tipping his head. "How appropriate."

Yukimura laughed and came to stand next to Fuji. Their identical smiles suddenly sent shivers down everyone's backs. "Well, since I have been exposed, I suppose I should bring out the offering."

"Offering?" Momo asked.

Rikkaidai's leader simply reached over to his previous hiding place and single-handedly dragged out a bound man. The man fell unceremoniously at their feet, eyes looking anywhere but the smiling duo.

"We had a reunion earlier on." Fuji explained.

"Fuji…" Tezuka lifted a hand to his temples.

"Maa, house arrest is boring, Tezuka."

"…"

"Anyway," Fuji continued peacefully, seemingly unaware of the pain he just caused his Captain, "Echizen's welcoming present!"

Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Che. Stop using me as an excuse."

Fuji beamed.

"We decided to take a little detour on our way back." Yukimura spoke up. "And guess who we ran into? Yashita Reito, who conveniently disappeared three months ago. Ring a bell?"

"Wait." Inui cleared his throat. "You found the man last Friday, presumably when Tezuka was not here." Fuji tipped his head. "It's Monday today."

"…"

"Tezuka, you'll get mistaken for a teacher if you keep frowning at me like that."

Yukimura patted the Captain on the back. "Don't worry, we just extended a warm greeting."

"We gave him food too."

"Heh." Ryoma peered at the man on the floor. "Does this has something to do with the bombing incident?"

Inui pushed his glasses up his nose. "Several men from Rikkaidai, Seigaku and Hyotei have disappeared at the same time, with an interval of several months. It is quite suspicious how they knew there would be a rounds check at that particular time Fuji and the rest where there…"

Tezuka kneeled down and peeled off the man's gag. "Speak."

Yashita sucked in deep breaths, having gagged on his tongue. At the Captain's stony glare, he sputtered out a few incoherent words. "F-Forgi-just followed…mon-ney…help-"

A few minutes later found all the Elites in a more private room away from the main party.

"So," Atobe said. "You mentioned money?"

"We were told that they would pay us if we joined them!" The man cried. "I d-didn't do anything! Just the same kind of jobs I did before. Mostly deliveries."

"Who do you mean by 'they'?"

"I don't know." Yashita gulped at Fuji's leer. "I really don't! We have never seen the leader before."

"Then how did you find out about this gang?"

"I followed a bunch of guys from Rikkaidai… I'm not sure how they knew either."

"Che." Ryoma muttered. "He doesn't know anything."

Seeing the blank faces around him, Yashita worried his cheek. "I don't know about their headquarters, but… I was put to work at an old factory a mile or so East away from Dock 32."

"The old textiles place?" Eiji frowned.

Inui pushed his glasses up. "Well, I think that's all we're going to get from him."

"Kaidoh, Momoshiro."

"Hai Buchou!"

"Take him to the holding cells."

The two men grabbed Yashita by the arms and bodily lifted him from the ground. Yashita's eyes grew wide. "W-wait, no, don't kill me!"

Yukimura smiled. "We would never degrade ourselves like those filth out there… but do not forget that we _are_ and always will be, yakuza."

Ignoring the wailing of the man as he was dragged out, Tezuka gathered everyone around him. "Alright. Who wants to investigate the factory?"

"Oishi and I will go, nya." Eiji volunteered. "Fujiko had his fun already!"

"Yudan seizu ni ikou."

Tezuka rubbed his pinch between his eyebrows as everyone dispersed elsewhere, Yukimura and Fuji whispering to each other as they did so. A hand dropped on his back and he nodded at Hyotei's leader.

"I will send Choutarou and Shishido with them. Don't worry."

* * *

**Sorry, a bit short. But at least the party has started? . Please, give me strength to survive my midterms and give you more Thrill.**


	8. Say hi to Fuji for me

**A/N: To my patient readers, thank you for the wait! And to my lovely reviewers, you guys give me the strength to come back with more chapters. Even as the weather gets warmer here, our boys are starting to feel the cold... **

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned these boys...**

**Summary: Mafia AU And we see how the Prince fell in love. **

**~Prequel~ Underworld: The Captive Prince**

* * *

Noon, at the Old Factory

"Hoi, this place sure is dusty, nya."

The four scouts arrived on site to find the place strikingly silent. Coming to a consensus that splitting up would be the most efficient way, they broke off to different parts of the factory in search of various clues pointing to previous inhabitation.

Eiji swiped at a metal filing cabinet and then shrugged, wiping his grey-coated fingers on his pants. He was in an office of sorts, dreary light filtering through musty blinds. Pulling open all drawers, the red-haired man saw that they were all emptied, with only scraps of plain paper lying around. Frowning in disappointment, he was about to leave the room and find his partner when something caught his eye.

A tiny crest of black flame outlined with orange was stenciled into the door frame, its outline so small and delicate against the worn out black that unless one was staring right at it and looking for it, it would have been overlooked. Eiji narrowed his eyes and examined the mark carefully, running every jag and line into his memory. "Hm."

Satisfied, he nodded and called out to his partner, who, unsurprisingly, did not find any incriminating documents either.

"Looks like they've abandoned base here," Oishi said finally, when they all met at the main holding area of the Factory. "They must have kept tabs on their men."

"So we are dealing with people who know what they are doing." Choutarou summarized.

"Definitely trying to hide something, nya." Eiji bounded over from where he was inspecting a rusty desk. "There were a few smashed computers in the back room."

Shishido grunted and threw a thumb over his shoulder. "Nothing there."

Seigaku's vice-captain sighed. "Should we move o-"

He was cut off as Eiji slapped a hand against his mouth and Choutarou perked up. The two glanced at each other and tensed. Shishido took in his partner's suddenly alert frame and frowned.

"Wh-" He started to whisper.

His partner shook his head and pointed to his ears, head cocked slightly to one side. Shishido nodded and reached quietly for the gun at his hip, bringing it up to shoulder level. The other two positioned themselves back to back and Eiji drew out a few silver disks; Shishido noted their likeness to shinobi stars. One nod from Choutarou and Shishido fired blankly at a pile of equipment at the left of the room, then the right, and finally the middle.

There was a slight ping of metal hitting metal and then-

_Whir_; slips of steel embedded themselves in a wooden cupboard protruding from a mass of broken frames and a soft "oops" reached their ears.

There was a moment of quiet before the wood burst into rough splinters and the four simultaneously hurled themselves in the same direction. A blur of black shot behind a stack of cotton and scraps of fabric, and Shishido was given only the barest of warnings before it erupted at him in a swirl of dust. Coughing and swearing, he gave a warning shot in the same direction.

Choutarou ducked past him and grabbed a nearby pipe, launching an attack even as the stranger brought a foot up and deflected the blow.

"Who are you?" Eiji yelled, as he sprung up from the other side. The stranger avoided being cornered by grabbing onto a piece of hanging metal and flipping themselves up onto a protruding bar.

"Ah, didn't think anyone would sense me." A distinctly male voice drifted from above, but echoing further and further away as the mysterious presence tried to put some distance between them. "Sharp ears you got there."

A loud clang hit their ears. Oishi had thrown (pretty accurately) a metal ball at the nonchalant voice.

"O-oi what's thi- woah!"

Smoke filled a corner of a ceiling before revealing a figure perched on a lighting beam, waving away the fumes. They were too far away to identify any features, but they could sense the man's relaxed form despite having a smoke bomb activate at his feet.

"Oi, you bastard!" Shishido bristled. "Come down and face us!"

The voice simply chuckled in a way that Eiji found inexplicably familiar. "Eh, after that trick you pulled? No way."

Following his previously silent but efficient actions, Oishi chose this moment to sink a fish-line in the stranger's direction, the contraption allowing several lengths of wire to be wound around the high-up scrap of metal.

"Come down or I will come and get you."

Choutarou edged away from the black-haired man.

The figure must have felt the same apprehension at the calm voice because it finally sighed. "Just to let you know, I'm not who you're looking for." With a few deft moves, the shadow landed a few feet away from the four, settling lightly on his feet. The lighting was dim but as the stranger dusted himself off, the scouts took in his dark fitted jeans, a v-neck that exposed sharp collar bones, eyes sliding up to see a sharp nose, then familiar gold eyes slightly more narrow than those of Seigaku's newest edition.

It was Eiji who dropped his jaw first. "Y-You-"

Ryoga grinned. "Yo."

Seeing comprehension dawn on Oishi's face, Shishido raised an eyebrow. Ryoga spotted the movement and turned towards the Hyotei visitors. He held out a hand. "I'm Echizen Ryoga."

Shishido glanced at the offered hand and gave a sharp bark of laughter.

Ryoga ruffled his green-tinted locks, only slightly longer than Ryoma's. His eyes crinkled ruefully. "Ah, I see you've met my brother."

Threat dismissed, the four finally relaxed their guard.

"What are you doing here, Echizen-san?" Oishi asked politely.

Ryoga waved him off. "Just Ryoga will do." He pulled a face. "I'm… looking for someone."

The two members of Hyotei eyed him warily.

"We aren't looking for the same guy right?" Shishido asked roughly.

Ryoga considered the question. "…probably not."

"Na, does Ochibi know you're here?"

"Nope."

"Well then, Ryoga-san." Oishi said, glancing at the sky outside. "It's time we left."

Echizen Ryoga gave them another roguish grin, already slinking back into the shadows. "Don't tell Chibisuke," he mock whispered. "It's our secret." Before they could say another word, the man was gone, leaving behind only a fluttering card piece.

Choutarou picked it out of the air, and wordlessly showed the others the scribble of black ink: _tell Fuji I said hi._

Seigaku Headquarters

Ryoma stared at Momo. Then, "Yadda."

The teenager had been shuffled towards the living quarters of the inner circle, a well-furnished wing of the headquarters with a private training room, a large bath house, a kitchen that opens to a living room—the living room acting as an entertainment area—and a small library and study room. In the furthest area of the kitchen is a flight of stairs leading down to the main kitchen; which Ryoma later found out opens into the presumed storage cupboard he had seen during his last visit to the kitchens. Next to the alcove that the entrance of the library was built into were the stairs to the balcony that lined the double storey-ed space, a series of doors paneling the walls. The bath house was separated from the kitchen and living room by one of the three corridors on the right side; Ryoma wondered where the other two lead to.

Momo grabbed him enthusiastically and dragged him onto the second level of their living quarters, and amidst his grumbling and wrestling out of the strong hold, Ryoma glimpsed name plates on each door they passed by. His thoughts were dragged abruptly to a stop when Momo flung open a door and shoved him in. "This is your room, Echizen!" He punched the smaller teen in the shoulder. "Right next to mine too!"

And Ryoma thought about all the noisy fights Momo and Kaidoh will get into, the early mornings and crushing taps on his back. "Yadda."

Kaidoh hissed in laughter where he was lurking outside.

"Eh," Momo complained loudly.

"You're noisy."

Ignoring the scuffle that broke out outside his door as Momo tackled a hissing Kaidoh, Ryoma moved further into his room. It was spacious, almost as wide as his room back at home. A thick mattress rested upon an elevated platform, several drawers fitted in the space beneath it. A well partitioned desk sat next to it, wedged between the bed and a door Ryoma presumed to lead to his own toilet. The carpet was soft but not cumbersome, a calming beige which matched with the grey-silver sheen of the wall paper. The window was large and framed by red curtains, opening up to a partial view of Seigaku's sprawling gardens and training grounds. Examining several interesting nooks and crannies of his room, Ryoma inwardly approved. The dartboard put up next to a huge flat-screen television just made everything better. Noticing that the rest of his room was hidden behind a partition wall, he made a note to explore and settle in properly later on.

"Don't worry, it's sound proofed."

Ryoma turned away from his inspection and tilted his head questioningly. Fuji smiled brightly at him. "We thought you wouldn't appreciate the noisy children."

The boy raised an eyebrow. "… And where's your room, sempai?"

"Next door."

"….."

"We will have lots of fun." The smiling devil promised. Light hair swinging softly, Fuji said, "Oh, and I was kidding. The rooms are sound-proof because Tezuka got annoyed last time the guy I played with was a little too loud." With a small wave, he left.

Ryoma stared after him with shocked amusement. "…played with, huh." He muttered at last, thoughts fluttering wildly.

Seigaku Headquarters – Entrance 

"Well then," Yukimura smiled gently. "Thanks for the playtime."

Fuji's eyes crested. "Maa, visit any time."

The blunette nodded, shifting his jacket a bit more firmly over his shoulders. "You know you can call me anytime, Syuu-chan," he offered, looking at his friend knowingly. "You won't owe me anything at all."

Coming from him, it said a lot. Fuji nodded back, feeling a sudden tremble run through his body; he swallowed to clear his throat. He was saved from saying anything when a figure dropped from a tree. The imposing figure of Rikkaidai's secondary leader straightened up.

"Yukimura."

"Sanada!" Yukimura greeted cheerfully, as if he did not run away from his protective circle of elites that past weekend.

Strict eyebrows drawn, hair shadowing dark eyes, Sanada simply looked at his leader with the air not unlike Tezuka's when he was irritated by something Fuji did. Yukimura kept his pleasant smile and gave Fuji a final goodbye, the latter hiding a small laugh at his friend's "let's go, Sanada".

Fuji watched until they could not be seen anymore then slipped back within Seigaku's walls. Before the door could close behind him however, four people ran into his back.

"Fujiko!"

"Oh, Eiji." The brunette said mildly. "You're back."

Oishi pulled his partner off Fuji's back. "Eiji! If Fuji was still injured you'd be in trouble!" Not daunted, Eiji simply stuck his tongue out. "Our search wasn't very fruitful…"

"Oh! I need to tell you guys something I saw, nya!" The excited red-head ran off towards the main building, everyone else following suit as the man hollered their return.

Choutarou tugged at Fuji's sleeve right before the entered. "A message for you," he whispered, slipping a card into Fuji's pocket. The man in question gazed at him curiously but took the whisper as it was meant to be and did not pause in his stride.

By the time they reached the conference room, most of the members were already settled.

"So, we couldn't find anything concrete." Oishi started. "But Eiji said he saw a symbol of some sorts…"

Eiji nodded and turned towards the drawing board they used for planning strategies and trade routes. "It looked something like this." He carefully penned the flame insignia, and colored it black. "There was a thin orange edging along it too. The drawing was so faint I nearly didn't see it!"

"Strange…" someone muttered. "I've never seen this before."

"Me neither."

"How do you know it's not just a random scribble?"

Eiji shook his head. "It was put right at a corner point of a door frame, and on black wood too. Almost as if someone wanted to leave their mark without being noticed."

"What's stranger is that the layer of dust gathered suggests no one has been there for at least a month." Choutarou added.

Yuushi considered this. "Does this mean Yashita was lying then?"

"No." Inui pushed his glasses up his nose and flipped through his notebook. "But he never specified what kind of work he was doing either."

"Meaning he probably knows more than he has shown us so far."

"He could have worked there," Taka-san said slowly. "But maybe there was another place he worked at too. Before he got found."

"What do you think, Tezuka?" Atobe asked, as their teams started throwing ideas around. When he received no answer, Hyotei's King glanced over to see him looking intently at the marking.

_I've seen this before_, Tezuka furrowed his brows, _but where?_ An image of steel flashing crossed behind his eyes. _No…_

"I've seen that before."

Tezuka's eyes jumped over at where Fuji was sitting, icy blue slowly slitting open.

_XRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXR_

_ "No!" Fuji slammed his feet onto the ground and stalked towards the man, his slender frame surprisingly strong as he grabbed the man by his throat and pushed him roughly off his chair. Kurano's eyes widened and his fingers grasped at the hands around his throat. Fuji tightened his grip and watched blankly as the man choked._

_ "What is suspicious is the note sent to me-addressed as 'Elite'," he said, "and that is not common knowledge." _

_ He bent his head to pin Kurano with blue blue eyes. "Just who… has been talking?"_

_ The big man shrieked, clawing at his throat. He shook his head repeatedly. The brunette released the man and stood over him. "I-I just heard-" Kurano looked up at the blade pointing at him and said, trembling, "Say hi to Fuji for me." _

_ Fuji stalled for the barest fraction of a second before spilling red with one clean swoop. As he swept from the room to retrieve his brother, his eye caught sight of a whitening scar at the base of Kurano's jaw, a startling jagged line burning up. _

_XRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXR_

"Just what is going on?" He murmured.

* * *

**What is going on indeed... I'm trying to wrap my head around it too. ^^ Hope you all enjoyed that!**


	9. It Lies in the Eyes

**A/N: Somehow... this chapter warped beyond my imagination. *sweat* I've been home for about a week now, pigging out and enjoying the heat. Are you guys having a good summer break too?**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned these boys...**

**Summary: Mafia AU And we see how the Prince fell in love. **

**~Prequel~ Underworld: The Captive Prince **

* * *

_"What is it, Tezuka-kun?"_

_"Iie, nothing."_

_A firm hand on his shoulder. "Maa, don't always wear that stern look on your face! No one can tell you are only seventeen." _

_"… Is this really okay?"_

_"Mmh. You're right, haha!"_

_It was so dark. Too dark. But the footsteps before him never faltered only tread more carefully and more quietly. "Ne, Tezuka."_

_"Hai."_

_"What do you think of our world?" _

_"…"_

_"Don't know?"_

_"A place where I have to get stronger."_

_"Ah, sounds like something you would say."_

_It was quiet but not tense, just the usual wariness and bite. And then suddenly his blade was whipping through the air, cutting apart something more solid then cloth but equally tender as roast, and it met the same resistance over and over and over. His knuckles skimmed the wall, and his floor beneath his shoes were slippery, but-_

_"Tezuka! Tezuka, where are you?!"_

_"Kawashigi!"_

_"Damn, Shima, get a move-"_

_"Don't let your guard down!" Someone's voice roaring in his ear; a low timbre broken by heaving lungs. An elbow knocked into him, and he shouted again, "Don't let-"_

_There were no screams, only crass grunting and the rough-hemmed words of tough men, men who were dragged down by leaden arms and draining…_

_Draining…? Raining…? His face was wet, and his clothes, and the rain stung his knee, rubbed raw. _

_"Don't let your guard down!" _

_Guard… he had to guard something, but oh—the burn in his leg was pulling at his balance, but he grabbed a nearby arm and spun the silver in his other hand, and as the man in front of him leaned forward there was a blot of black on his shoulder. The silver whistled through it, through the mark, through the brand, through fire… _

_Fire? _

_"Don't let your guard down!"_

XRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXR

Tezuka rubbed a hand over his face. It was only breakfast and the noise level had already reached an all-time high. Not to mention the addition of a certain individual; and it's only been one day.

"Echizen, you have to greet your seniors!"

"Yo."

"Hah?! Not even a good morning?"

_Whack_. "Shut up, peach butt."

"Momoshiri?! Why you-"

"Who decided it was a good idea to have a morning picnic?" Oishi muttered next to him. The black-haired boy shook his head and turned to his leader. "Tezuka, are you okay? You look pale."

"Bad sleep."

"I see." To his credit, Oishi did not ask further but went to pull apart the two who were throwing blows at each other. Expertly tuning out the sound of bickering, the man turned his thoughts to his dream. Or was it more appropriate to call it memory? It had been two years already, and still his nightmares linger. The leader of Seigaku tightened his jaw.

_I've been careless…_

"Buchou?"

Tezuka tipped his head towards the teen that slipped quietly next to him. "Echizen."

They sat in silence for a while, idly watching the breakfast chaos. Tezuka was not expecting Ryoma's question. "Buchou, you have killed."

It was not a question then. "Hn."

Golden eyes studied him closely, bright under the morning sun. But something harder peered out behind the coloring. "Me too." Ryoma stood up and brushed off his pants. "Ah, I'm hungry."

Tezuka's eyes followed the strong figure, running through and discarding several thoughts. Echizen Ryoma, easy to read in some ways and completely indiscernible in others—no, maybe a little _too _easy… He stood swiftly and let his strides lead him back into the building, until he reached his study. Eyeing the lowest drawer of his desk, he traced the gold-coated handles with his thumb before pulling it out. A sheathed blade sat there, solemn and heavy.

_Yamato Yuudai_.

He exhaled.

Outside

Ryoma smirked as he strolled back towards the rowdy group. _Wonder if Buchou will realize…_ _well, things have gotten more interesting_. Nimbly, he swiped the garlic bread Momo was waving around and stuffed it into his mouth, exaggerating the chewing in front of his friend's annoyed exclamations.

"Momo-sempai," he drawled, "Don't wave your food around then."

"You're so not cute, Echizen!"

Taka-san rescued their newest member by bringing out a fresh round of baked goods. Eiji and Momo wasted no time in pouncing on the new basket. "Wah! Such a feast!"

Inui hummed. "Hm… appetite increased by 3% and 7% respectively. Training must have been upped the past few weeks." He paused. "Kaidoh, eat more sausage rolls, you need to up the amount of meat for this week."

"Fshuuu."

Ryoma slipped up a tree out of hearing distance and settled on a thick branch, whistling lightly. A few minutes later, a heavy weight dropped next to him.

"Brat."

"Monkey King."

The childhood friends eyed each other with increasingly haughty expressions before sharing a smug smile.

Atobe relaxed a little. "Seigaku is so noisy, eh?"

Ryoma shrugged. It may be true, but it reminded him of warm fields and wild laughter, and he was oddly fond of them already. But even only after one night, he recognizes the familiar sounds of cleaving air, the steady chink of metal on metal, felt the resonating blows of flesh to packed leather. Seigaku was exactly where it deserved to be.

"You know what is going on right?"

"Don't make baseless accusations."

"Hn, then what is with that excited face?"

And Ryoma laughed at that, because really, only Atobe would have realized that. "I may have an idea, but no, I don't know everything." His pupils contracted slightly. "Can't wait."

Atobe leant his chin into a palm, head twisting to take in Ryoma's features. Not even the slightest twitch gave his excitement away, except for the shard of black in melting gold.

"Ryo," he said amusedly. "You really are the prince…" He flicked his hair back. "Poor Seigaku, they haven't realized just what a monster they have in their midst."

The green-haired teen tilted his head. "Mhm… don't underestimate everyone who isn't Tezuka Kunimitsu, Keigo."

Atobe snorted. "Isn't your acting just that good?"

"Do you know why I'm here?"

"Didn't we say it was because your father wants you to 'realize that my old man isn't the only person out there I have to learn to beat'?"

"If I haven't already realized it myself, he would never have sent me here." Ryoma sighed. "What a manipulative guy…"

Hyotei's leader eyed him seriously. "Are you saying that your old man… has plans with Seigaku?"

"…Geez, don't get all protective." Ryoma said mischievously as his friend spluttered. "You've got it all wrong." He smiled. "I'm here because Oyaji trusts Seigaku."

"To help you grow?"

"To be family."

Atobe's answer was cut off as a flash of red swung onto the branch next to them. "Ochibi! Here's the last piece, nya! Momo was gonna eat it but I saved it just for you!"

"Doumo."

"Fujiko said he's going to sneak out later so I'm going to hang out with Oishi. Ja!" Flashing his teeth, Eiji disappeared in a flutter of wind. Atobe barely had time to blink at the fast exit. Unperturbed, Ryoma nodded his head towards where Eiji was hanging off his partner, the latter chastising the former with the slightest blush on his face.

"Their dancing around each other is only slightly worse than you and Buchou." Ryoma snarked.

Atobe scowled. "If Tezuka would stop being shy…"

"Aren't you just too shameless?"

"Well, they surely would fit right into your dysfunctional family." The King said, obviously trying to change the subject. Seeing the playful light in his friend's eyes, he coughed and raised his tone. "Speaking of Fuji Syuusuke…"

Ryoma leapt from the branch and blinked up at his childhood friend with fake innocence. Atobe shook his head. "Brat, you are just like your father huh."

"No."

"No?"

"I'm my mother's son."

XRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXRXR

"Now…" Ryoma stepped deep into Seigaku's underground cells. His guide nodded to the security team who stepped aside for Ryoma to pass. Indifferent to anything but his goal, he gave only a cursory glance to the various steel doors he passed.

"Echizen-san, here's the cell." With a click, the door swung open. Ryoma motioned for his guide to wait outside and quietly approved of the room. Rather than an old, damp, rat-infested space, he was faced with a room so white and sterile that he would have gone crazy staring at the walls. Obviously Yashita shared his view because the man started crying when Ryoma walked in.

"S-Save m-"

The man looked worn; his clothing covered most of his body but Ryoma could see faint green and yellow peering out from his sleeves, as well as the dots of red along length of his legs. _Hm… those two are more likely to mess with his mind than physical torture…_

Ryoma leant against the door, legs crossed. He raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like a hero to you?"

"Why?" Yashita asked, voice shaking. "W-Why? You're all kids only, why-"

"Don't you think kids are the cruelest?"

That was certainly true. Kids do not hesitate to tell you what they think; they do not pause and consider the best way to point out a flaw. Yashita breathed out unsteadily. But did the Underworld really have kids? He clenched his fist.

Yashita raised his head to find Ryoma advancing on him. _Somehow… this completely blank face is even more terrifying than the smiling ones…_ Trembling, the man did not move, chest so tight he nearly stopped breathing. The smooth slide of black leather was so close surely he could feel the frantic thumps-

"Heart?"

_Eh?_

The teenager tapped his own chest. "But you can't feel mine, right?"

_Monster_.

"You're wondering if I can hear your fear." Unrelenting gaze. "But you don't even know why you're so scared of me. Since I wasn't here before; you don't know me at all. You can prepare for what you know you might face if you got caught, but you can't prepare for something you didn't know would be there." _Such a monster._ Breath heated his ear. "You want to dismiss me as a threat but instincts tell you otherwise." Sharp pain at the base of the skull. "Save you? I will destroy you if you remain silent."

"… it wasn't the leader's orders. The explosion." Yashita did not understand why but the words just left his mouth. "He wanted to wait, I-I don't know for what, I wasn't supposed to have heard—but then that guy pulled us out from the factory and made us wait at the docks."

"Who was the target?"

"I don't know if there was one… I wasn't in charge of the operation."

"…Che." Ryoma pulled back and slid the pocket knife into his pocket. "Who was _that guy_?"

"I-I…"

"Of course you wouldn't know." The teen muttered under his breath. _So the target probably was Fuji Syuusuke, huh._ _Guess it's a good thing this guy didn't squeal in front of everyone_.

Having done what he came for, Ryoma moved to leave.

"Don't-Don't you want to know who the lead-"

Ryoma looked back coolly, bracketing the open doorway. "Who says I don't already know?"

Yashita looked after the fading back, but the words that he wanted to say could not move his mouth. That boy, he knew with sudden clarity, would never save him.

Three streets away from Seigaku

Slender fingers toyed with the card in the pocket. _Hi, huh?_

"You know," Fuji said out loud. "Too many people have been greeting me recently."

Calloused fingers traced up his arm and pulled him to a stop. "Upset I didn't bring you flowers?" The brunette found himself pressed against a wall by a hard chest.

"Didn't I tell you to give up?" The normally soft smiled chilled. "Ryoga."

Laughing gold eyes, only slighter dimmer than his brother's, traced over slightly matured features. "You haven't changed, Fuji."

"You haven't either."

Ryoga lowered his head and nuzzled at the shorter man's neck. One of his arms slid down to capture a slim waist. "So cold to me, as always."

Fuji did not move. "You have something to tell me, right?"

"The person I'm looking for isn't the same as the one you're looking for," Ryoga murmured, placing a light kiss on soft skin. "But he's looking for you."

"Is that so."

Ryoga sighed and pulled his head back. "Can't you give me at least one kiss?" He whined.

Fuji smiled at him. "If that hand goes any lower, you won't have it anymore."

Throwing his head back, Ryoga chuckled. "Oh, you really haven't changed." The man grew serious. "Syuusuke, stay near Chibisuke."

Fuji raised an eyebrow. "Ara, not worried I will fall for him instead?" His smile widened. "He's pretty cute."

The older Echizen just grinned wryly. "Can't win if he's doing the seducing."

Seigaku's tensai regarded his friend quietly, placing a hand on a tanned cheek. "Ryoga," he said softly. "I just want you to stop being lonely."

"… I know." A rougher hand covered his. "I've moved on. Truly." Ryoga leant forward slowly, but Fuji did not move away. Touched, he allowed a soft brush of lips then drew back. "I was serious though," he said, resting his forehead on the brunette's. "Chibisuke can protect you."

Fuji quirked his lips. "So you think I need protecting."

"There are some enemies better suited for other opponents." Ryoga said. "Chibisuke may not seem like the type, but he's insanely protective of those he considers family."

"Of that, I have no doubt."

Ryoga let his hands fall back to his sides and his bright grin resurfaced. "He's pretty hard to dominate even though he's a chibi… I don't know if I want to face off against him once he finally hits a growth spurt."

At that, the fair-haired genius laughed. "I will take that as a warning and watch him closely then."

"Anyway," Ryoga pointed at the pocket with the card in it. "You said something about repeated greetings?"

Fuji nodded. "The guy who held my brother…. And yours. Apparently he is just a messenger."

Echizen blew air through his teeth. "As expected of that guy. I better step up my search." He slid out a sleek phone and checked the time. "Huh, better get going. Have to find Oyaji before I go off the radar for a week or so again."

"Not telling your brother you're back?"

"Nah, we'll cross paths soon enough."

"Sou ka." Fuji let his smile drop. "Ryoga, be careful too."

Ryoga laughed. "Now you're worried? After you broke my heart?" With a last wink, he strolled into a nearby alley and (if Fuji were to check) probably vanished. The Echizens carried their name well after all.

Fuji sighed, but a smile ghosted over his face. "Maybe I need to make memories with another Echizen…" Singing softly, he headed back to the headquarters, resolving to ask Ryoma about the mark they were shown the day before.

Later that afternoon…

Ryoma lay on the roof of their dorms, face slack in light slumber. The afternoon breeze was welcoming although it would turn cold once night came. In the far end of his room (behind the partition wall) he had found stairs spiraling upwards and thanked his luck when it proved fruitful. A platform of a sunk-in sitting area took up most of the area, with an abundant supply of cushions and pillows. A canopy covered the resting area, and Ryoma had spotted the plastic covers that no doubt came in handy during rainier days.

Ryoma was jolted awake by a strange feeling of being watched, but shook it off. There was no murderous intent anyway… no, it was as if-

"Hey, Echizen." A voice suddenly called lowly from his right. Ryoma twisted his head to the side and took in Fuji's smile and the notebooks he held in his hands.

Notebooks. Black notebooks.

"Should we…" the brunette continued calmly, "have some fun?"

Seigaku was fun.

* * *

**Do let me know what you guys think! :3 I promise I'll have another chapter ready soon. **

**To my readers and reviewers, thank you so much! **


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